Secessionism is frequently understood through a cost-benefit analysis. The case of Somaliland, however, does not allow for such computations. Somaliland seceded from collapsing Somalia in 1991 without careful planning, disconnecting one of the most resource-scarce areas from an already poor country. No external backers supported this secessionist entity, except a few diaspora activists. Somaliland received some positive attention from the international community only 12 years later. This was partly withdrawn again after the establishment of a new Somali government in Mogadishu in 2012. The country continues to exist as a de facto state, functioning in all important ways like a state but lacking international recognition. This chapter analyzes which factors have led to this rare case of successful—if unrecognized—secession in Africa, against the grain.
CITATION STYLE
Hoehne, M. V. (2019). Against the Grain: Somaliland’s Secession from Somalia. In Secessionism in African Politics (pp. 229–261). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-90206-7_9
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